


Lovestruck Idiot

by MadokaFan1234



Category: Sing (2016)
Genre: M/M, and the discord chat, haha just you wait guys, his boyfriend is just as gay, local raccoon too gay for his own good, maybe I'll put some angst in later, more @ 11, shoutout to elana and aqua, this one's for u guys, wow time to gay things up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:41:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9602150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadokaFan1234/pseuds/MadokaFan1234
Summary: Love was like lightning. It comes in a heartbeat--and haunts your memories longer that expected.





	1. The Start Of It All

**Author's Note:**

> YOOOO 
> 
> Here's my OC's introduction story 
> 
> Have fun

Jackson Riley was in love.

Okay--hold on a second. Let's take a step back. All the way back to the audition.

Jackson Riley had finally graduated from high school and was living with his best friend, Annette. He resided to a life of rest and relaxation, not really singing anywhere but the shower. Annette, however, would drag them from audition to audition, hoping they could get a role. He didn't like it, but wanted Annette to be happy, so he kept on with it. Every audition felt the same though--they go in, perform, go out, and never see the judges again.

But no audition was like the Moon Theatre audition.

"Come on, Annette. When have we ever gotten accepted?" Jackson argued with her for once, swinging his earbud. 

"Jackie!" Annette whined, flinging the audition flyer in her arms. "Come on! It's Moon Theatre!"

"Yeah, the Moon Theatre, one of the most popular theaters in the city," he plucked the earbud back into his ear. "What are the chances that we'll get in?"

Annette said nothing. She didn't argue, she didn't complain. All she did was bring out the big guns: the puppy eyes.

He turned away. Nope, he wasn't taking it this time. No more tired rehearsals, bored judge faces, or passing out on the bed after a long workout. No more disappointment.

Annette turned him around. "One more time," she cutesy whimpered, still maintaining the eyes.

The next day, they went to the audition.

"I am Annette Gazette!" She proudly introduced herself on the stage. "And this is my partner, Jackson Riley!" Cueing him in, Jackson had stumbled onto stage.

And it was just like last time, exhausted performance and no criticism. Except this time, the judge--Buster Moon, he recalled--was actually a little interested in their performance. He smiled when they came in, and continued when they performed. But that was the only thing that was different. Soon Jackson would be looking to another night of disappointment that they didn't get it. 

That night, he received a phone call. Late at night, listening to his music.

"Wha-hello? Yes....I am Jackson Riley. Yes....I auditioned at Moon Theatre...." He stated, wearily. He didn't care. It wasn't like he would get in anyway...

"What? I....got in?" 

And that's where the Moon audition was different. To his surprise, Jackson actually got a callback! Well....him, not Annette. But Annette was supportive anyway.

"You got in!" Annette perked, grinning in glee. She had ran into Jackson's (honestly very messy) bedroom that day, having heard the conversation last night. But Jackson was having none of it.

"Yeah...and you didn't," he meekly replied, calling back the phone call. They were a duo--they had been since high school. She was the dynamite, he was the lighter. Without her, he was going to freeze up, or puke, or straight up die on stage.

Annette didn't share these thoughts. She flew her hand up and down, signaling that she didn't care. "Who cares, you're in!" She jumped up and down, squealing with excitement. Jackson just groaned and flopped back on his bed. What was he going to do now?

Annette dragged him to the theatre for his callback. She was excited for him, and she wanted him to be excited too.

"See you later!" She blew him a kiss and drove off, having dropped him off at the theatre. He looked up at the tall, luminous theatre. 

He groaned. Time for audition number two, also known as 'even more disappointment'. Callbacks were just going to lead up to that--disappointment. Cause he had gone this far, and he was anticipating to go back down again.

"Ah, Jackson!" He looked towards the entrance to see Buster Moon standing in the doorway, tapping a pen on his clipboard. "Nice to see you! Come on in!" He greeted him to come inside. 

Jackson stepped into the theatre reluctantly. "Well...I guess I'm doing this," he mumbled in a sigh, stepping into he auditorium. He saw all the other callbacks--from a ukulele bear and bird duo, to a singing panda bear, to a ballet dancing mouse.

"Hey!" He turned his attention to a red-feathered bird, holding a violin. "You're new here, aren't you?" She asked.

"Y-Yeah..." He replied, a little weirded out by her attitude. 

She smirked. "Sweet. Could always use more performers. So, what's your genre?"

"Uh, singing...Broadway," he muttered. Small talk was hard to do.

The bird nodded. "Cool! So-" her words were interrupted when a panda had came and took her bow, giggling madly. "RILLEY!" She screeched as the panda--Rilley--ran off. "YOU GET BACK HERE--my name's Audrey, by the way!" Her tone snapped from angry to friendly in a heartbeat, nearly spooking the raccoon. She proceeded to run off aggressively to capture her stolen bow from the laughing panda.

Wow. Better not get on her bad side. He turned to find a place to wait when he met a cat with a tender gaze, smiling. 

"Hello," she spoke, holding her hand out. "My name's Cassidy. You're a performer, right?" 

Jackson shook the cat's hand and nodded. Not another one.

Luckily, Cassidy just grinned. "Say, can you tell me where Mr. Moon is? I need him to sign a few papers..." 

He immediately pointed to the door, to which Cassidy drew her attention to. "Oh! Thank you!" She responded. "Gracie!" She called out.

A smaller koala stepped out from the sidelines. Had she always been there? She ran down, and instead of going with the cat, she clung to Jackson's leg.

"Ah!" Jackson yelped, freezing up. He didn't even know most of these people, they didn't even know him!

"Who's he?" The koala perked. 

"M-My name's J-Jackson," he introduced himself, trying to stay calm. "C-Can you please get off my..my leg?" 

The girl nodded, and clung off his leg. She ran over to Cassidy, smiling and giggling like a schoolgirl. "I like you, Mr. Jackson!"

He wished he could say the same for her. "Th-Thanks," he replied, sighing a bit. He had no idea what to say to anyone.

"Sorry--she has a tendency to introduce herself like that," Cassidy immediately apologized. "Let's go Gracie!" She cooed to the young girl, taking her hand as they went off to find Mr. Moon.

"Bye!" Gracie called out. Jackson just waved his paw. He hurried off without a second thought for a corner of silence. He couldn't take it--only three encounters and he could take it! This is why he doesn't go out often. Why did Annette convince him?

In a moment, he was lost in his thoughts. Of everyone there, of what he was doing there, of if he could even survive here...

They were scattered when he bumped into someone backstage. "Oh, I'm sor-"

"NOT ANOTHER ONE!" Jackson jumped into the air, about to run away from yet another encounter. But he saw that the one he bumped into was...caring. He had an odd look of care in his eyes, as if he was worried about his fall. 

For a moment, everything was quiet. Which was good, for the easily startled raccoon, but this was a different quiet. Jackson had shared a deep glance with the man--a tall, soft gorilla. 

"O-Oh..." Jackson took a calm breath. "I-I'm sorry for, for my outburst there," he stuttered nervously. He wanted to get to know this guy better--but why?

"It's alright," the man replied in a Cockney accent. 

"A-Are you here for callbacks?" He asked, wanting to make small talk. He nodded, smiling. For some reason, the smile seemed to make his heart burst. He opened his mouth to speak again, but instead of another question, it spat out bits and pieces of words.

"IMSORRYIHAVETOGORIGHTNOW," the cluster of words emerged from his throat as he ran off. What...was that? An odd...sudden burst of energy that escaped him when he saw the gorilla? Well, it distracted him from everyone else in the room, so that was that.

Jackson stayed in his corner for a few minutes before Buster arrived back into the auditorium. "Okay--I want to see some performances!" An enthusiastic glint showed off in his eyes as he sat in front of the stage with a clipboard.

Well, this was it. Showtime. 

\---

It was a blur. So many auditioned. 

There was a beautiful mouse dancing to a classical tune, another eccentric mouse looking like a karate king singing "Through The Fire And The Flames," a bear and bird duo singing a small ditty.

He watched as all the others sang with passion and glory...but oddly enough, couldn't get his mind off of the gorilla he met earlier. Odd, considering he didn't see him performing.

"Jackson Riley?" The bird on stage had finished her piece, and Mr. Moon just called out his name.

He jumped up in tension, making his way to the stage. A million thoughts ran through his head. But they were all cleared away as he introduced himself.

"I am Jackson Riley, and I will be performing One Song Glory," he stated, as he cued the music. One Song Glory--a truly passionate song. About a man wanting to make his mark on the world before his inevitable pass. Annette chose the sing just for him--so he could pass.

There were two things Jackson was scared of: one was not being accepted and disappointing Annette and to a lesser-extent, himself. The other was being accepted--meaning he would have to perform in front of a bunch of people. Not as a character in a play, as himself.

"Hold it!" Buster's voice stopped the music abruptly, along with his singing. Fuck, this was it. He was through, about to go back empty-handed to his roommate. Well, at least he was saved from a lifetime of embarrassment and despair...

"Johnny, can you come on stage please?" The koala asked. Wait, what? The words he was expecting to hear were 'sorry, you're just...not cut out for this show,' and a blunt finger to the door. That was it! Then he would be spared!

His thoughts were silence when the gorilla from earlier walked on stage. Johnny....from the show! The soulful, piano-playing Johnny! That's who he was! That's why he wasn't auditioning--he was already in.

He stepped out from the curtains in curiosity. "What is it, Mr. Moon?" He asked, taking a quick glance at Jackson. 

And like that, another moment between them clicked. The glance was quick, but it felt like it meant something. To Jackson at least.

Mr. Moon tapped his pen on his clipboard. "You both know Wicked, right?" He asked. Jackson nodded, as did Johnny. Huh, he didn't think of Johnny as a Wicked kind of guy.

A few moments passed before the koala came to a conclusion. "Boys, I want you to sing 'As Long As You Love Me,' you both know that right?" Again, they both nodded, but Jackson felt a bit shocked. What are they going to do? "Great!" Mr. Moon's voice rang through his ears, scattering his thoughts. "Jackson, you can start us off!"

"Oh! Uh-" Jackson muttered, trying to find the lyrics to the song in his mind. He didn't sign up for this. "K-Kiss me t-too fiercely, h-hold me too tiight," he stuttered over many of the lyrics, making him feel like he was just messing up more than before. It felt weird, singing a love song to someone he just met--not met, bumped into-- his morning. 

Then Johnny jumped in at the second verse. "Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise," he skated over the words with grace, as if he was prepared from the mark to sing it. 

Jackson listened as he sang on, wondering what he could do--and he was amazing. He had a beautiful soulful wisp in his voice, as did the character. It felt like a love song brought to life...like a real play.

Jackson almost forgot to step in again, he was to swept up in his song. "Every moment, as long as you're mine," the two sang in sync, matching each other's voice. Jackson didn't stutter this time, he wanted to meet the gorilla's beautiful, swift voice. The two exchanged a glance as they sang on, and this time is lasted longer. The two felt each other sing, with passion and grace, in sync.

But just like that, the song was over. Jackson looked over at Buster, who was smiling in his seat and marking down notes on his clipboard. "Great--just as I planned!" He said. "Jackson, you have a true artisan soul-"

"So, I'm in?" He interrupted, before catching himself. He motioned for him to go on.

"Yep!" The koala nodded. "And you'll be working with Johnny!" He pointed over to Johnny. 

Jackson looked over at Johnny again. Wait...him? "What?" He asked, not caring about interrupting him anymore.

"Think about it--an artist like you and a soul like him! You'll amaze the audience!" He gleamed like a true show runner. 

He wanted to object, but the koala had stepped down from the judges table. "Thank you everyone who auditioned!" He motioned over to the other people in the audience, who were either whispering to each other or playing their instruments. "We will be meeting again on Friday! Get some rest, and remember to practice!" With his words of encouragement, everyone started to get up and leave the theatre.

Jackson didn't know what to do now. He came with Annette, he worked with Annette, and now he's going to perform without her! And not even just by himself, where he would only ruin his own reputation, he was going to work with Johnny--a guy who actually has talent!

Speaking of him, he looked over. Johnny exchanged his gaze with a small smile. "I guess..I guess we're working together," he spoke. The two stayed on the stage for a few seconds before leaving. "I'll be seein' you Friday...Jackson, was it?"

Jackson was about to leave when he heard him talk. He abruptly turned around and spoke quickly. "Yeah, yeah! Jackson--my name--that's what it is! My name, Jackson!" He sputtered, wanting to get out. "Night, Johnny!"

He only saw the gorilla raise a hand out in response before he ran out of the theatre. Shit...did that really happen? He got in, and stayed in? 

And now he was working with..a star? A talented, soulful, pure star? A gorilla with a beautiful, enchanting voice--

He stopped thinking immediately. What was he thinking? And why was he thinking this? He wandered the sidewalks, thinking about the duet. They were just partners--they would meet up every day for a few weeks, perform, then be out of each other's hair for good. That's all it was, that's all it was, that's all it was.

He repeated his mantra to himself before he bumped into someone. "IMSORRY!" He yelled, before realizing that he bumped into...Audrey. Great.

The red bird perked a smile on her face upon recognizing Jackson. "Oh, you're Jackson, right? Nice duet, by the way!" She wasn't mad. Good. "Hey, a few of us are gonna get something to eat--you in?" She asked.

Jackson thought over the invitation. On one hand, he's be with a bunch of quirky, spirited, young souls shouting over each other. Hell. On the other, he's be left alone with his...thoughts. 

With a small sigh, Jackson nodded. "Great!" Came from Audrey's mouth before she pulled his wrist and brought him around the corner where he saw a bunch of other auditions standing in front of a restaurant, stringing along a clutter of conversations. They all dropped for a second when they saw and began to greet the raccoon.

Well...time to be social.


	2. Dreams

Jackson has never been a socialite. So in the restaurant, he just hung in the back as he listened to everyone else talk. 

It was a party of, like, seven other people. There were about three different conversations at a time, each sentence booming over the other. Most of it was about the callbacks. Jackson just ordered a sandwich and a soda and listened to his playlist as everyone talked.

And eventually, their voices faded out of his mind as the music played. Suddenly, lyrics swarmed over his vision in a hypnotic sway, letting him forget about everything going on. It was just like home, listening to music, and imagining the play go on in his head. But this time...something was different. Someone was different.

Jackson would normally imagine either himself or Annette acting out the scene. But now, no one was there. No one...but Johnny. He imagined him singing like he did at the theatre, with...passion, and talent, and soul...with a beautiful brimming voice that could sway the hearts of anyone, men and women alike....

"Jackson? Jackie?" Audrey waved her wing in front of the entranced raccoon's face, snapping him out of his daze. Jackson clicked to attention, turning off his iPod and forgetting his vision in a heartbeat. "Are you okay? You were looking kinda red before..."

"O-Oh! I'm fine!" Jackson insisted, springing to take a sip out of his drink. Was he blushing? Oh man, if he was blushing...

"I really liked your performance, Mr. Jackson!" another voice squealed. Gracie was smiling at him, sipping from her apple juice. There were a few murmurs here and there, complimenting the raccoon's performance as well.

He just nodded along and continued to drink his soda. At least they changed the subject.

"So how was it working with Johnny?" Audrey asked. Shit. "You seemed to be blushing hardcore on stage with him..."

"What? Me! Blushing? Oh, nononono!" He muttered foolishly. He tried to sputter a few more words of denial out before taking another sip of his drink, silencing him. Were they suspicious? Wait, suspicious of what? He wasn't blushing!

A sudden laugh from the bird both relieved and tensed Jackson. "Ah, relax! I'm just messin' with you!" She spoke with a playful tone. Ahh, good. She didn't think anything...odd. "I'm just glad you got in--now you're part of the family!"

Family? Oh god...

Before he could even say anything, Audrey raised her cup to the air. "To the Theatre Family!"

Everyone began to raise their cups and mugs too. "To the Theatre Family!" They repeated. Jackson had been the only one to not raise his drink. But with the glare of Audrey, he reluctantly clinked his glass in the middle.

"T-To..the Theatre Family..." he echoed everyone else, sounding quieter than them. They all took a cheer and it dissolved into laughter and conversation once more.

Jackson didn't even finish his drink before he tried to climb out of his chair. He frantically looked to exit, when he felt a small tug on his sleeve. 

"Where are you going?" Audrey asked. Without speaking, Jackson just pointed his thumb towards the door. "Oh, can I at least get your number?"

He got a napkin and quickly scribbled down his phone number before rushing out the door. All that he heard as he ran out was a mumbled thanks from the bird. Breathing in the fresh afternoon air, he got out his phone and called Annette, reflecting on the past events of today. 

These are the people he's gonna be working with. Yippee.

\---

"So how was the callba-?"

"Good!" 

When Jackson came home, he immediately went to his room and started listening to his music. He dodged any questions from his curious roommate about the callback with vagueness, wanting to just relax.

And there he was, in his room, humming to the symphony in his little device. Broadway songs filled his mind, with dazzling visuals and detailed choreography, vocals matching them to a brim. Stage shows filled with passion and initiative--how he wished to be in one badly.

In a show, he would be playing a character. People would come to see Mark Cohen, or Elphaba Thropp, or Alexander Hamilton. They wouldn't come to see shy, stuttering Jackson Riley. 

With that thought, he had distracted himself from the melodies of the stage and was brought back into his fears. He would be performing a song like this soon--but as himself. No character, no story--just himself, on stage. He would be a fool. He couldn't match up to anybody from Broadway, not even Annette! No one would see an amazing, show-stopping performer--they would just see him.

His fears were melted away, though, as the feeling of sleep washed over his eyes. Soon, he was back in dreamland, with visions of acting and creation swirling his mind. There, he was confident in himself. He was able to make himself out as someone epic. A dancer, a singer, and an actor all in one.

But then...someone came to mind. Someone who he never saw in his dreams prior. 

Johnny stood next to him, singing and dancing along, with such sincere enchantment that came from his movement. He was like an actual star. Like before, Jackson had been swept into his heart, hypnotized by his whimsy and spirit. He didn't fight it this time--he danced along. 

And the two began to perform in sync. They had become a pair--two souls who could light up the night with their talent. By the end of their performance, Jackson felt an exhilaration beeping out of his heart. He felt like..like met his match...

The dream was ended with an alarm going off. Jackson woke up abruptly, stumbling to sit up. He ended the playlist--although it had finished anyway--and checked his phone. 

1 NEW MESSAGE

Huh? Opening his phone, Jackson read the recent text message. The contact was unknown.

'See you friday, Jack! -Audrey'

Ahh, right. Audrey and the "theatre family". Friday. With a small groan, Jackson named his new contact "Audrey" and laid back down on his bed, wondering about the dream some more.

Johnny. All he knew was his name and his talents. Could he be in...love with him? No, he crossed that idea out of his mind in an instant. He knew nothing about the guy! All that happened with him was that he bumped into him like an idiot and the two performed a duet together. An amazing, enchanting, passionate duet that would haunt his mind...

Wake up, he told himself! He wasn't in high school anymore! He's a grown adult who's going to perform with a soulful gorilla, and that's who Johnny will ever be to him: a soulful partner. 

He stared at the ceiling for some time, reminiscing about his dream in the quiet night. He wasn't in love, he wasn't even crushing. All that he was was a partner.

Jackson turned to his side and let sleep consume him once again. He dreamed once more about performances and Broadway, as his mind awaited Friday. The day where he would meet Johnny once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heheheh


	3. Anything Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson gets caught up in his dreams, then he snaps to reality.

Jackson spent the rest of his week in his room, singing to his playlist. The dreams hadn't stopped. He continued to think about him, from his morning, to his night. He let himself dream for once--he liked it, for some reason. Annette questioned nothing. It was nice to see her roommate happy for once.

Then it came--Friday. Jackson awoke early in the morning, and got ready in a rush. He drove himself there, Annette nearly clinging to the truck, wondering what got into him.

He entered the theatre with a smile, a grin of confidence. "Well, well, well," he heard Audrey as she walked over to him. "What's gotten into you? You're way happier since last time we met."

He just brushed the question off with a fling of his paw, to happy to care or be annoyed by her. "Oh, I'm just really excited about today! First day of work, and all," he replied, skipping merrily to the auditorium. He finger-gunned everyone who he walked past, swept up into his fantasies.

"Ooh, someone's eager!" Turning around, he saw Cassidy with a sweet grin on her face. 

"You know it!" He finger-gunned her confidently. 

"Ready to work?" Asked Rilley.

"Heck yes!"

He skipped along the hallways, not caring about anyone else who was there. He didn't know why he felt like that, but he didn't want it to go away. It felt...good. It felt like he was alone in the world, but he was happy in his world. 

In his dreams, he thought about the handsome gorilla and his voice. The way the two would dance in sync, matching tones together in a show of beauty. He thought about the roses that would brush the stage after their performance as he went downstage to the practice rooms. 

He noted Johnny was in one of them, his dark fur brushing his vision, clear from the glass. With a grin, Jackson went up to enter, longing to work with him again. He was ready to make those dreams a reality. 

"Hel~lo!" He hummed. Today was gonna be a good day. 

"Hi," Johnny turned around to face his partner, smiling softly. 

And like that, everything stopped. For a moment, time felt like it had froze. When they met eyes, it felt like all those dreams washed away. Johnny was there...the real Johnny. The soulful, amazing singer Johnny. 

Jackson's dreams were overshadowed by reality. He was just imagining things that couldn't exist. He needed to be brought back to real-life. Back to the scared, nervous raccoon who needed to stay focused on the subject at hand: the show.

"S-So," his confident demeanor faded, and he started stuttering again. "What...what are we working on?" He tried to face away from his partner, not wanting to be distracted. 

"Mr. Moon made a list fo' us," Johnny replied, holding two papers, one of him and one for Jackson. Still not looking, Jackson trudged to get a copy, turning completely away to read it. 

A list. A list of romantic ballads and emotional duets between the two. Great, they would look like a couple on-stage. But they weren't! Jackson wasn't in love--he doesn't fall in love. He rested his forehead in his palm. Was he sweating? He couldn't be sweating. Or blushing. Or anything like that.

"Are you...feeling okay?" his partner's voice shatter his thoughts. Why was he thinking so much anyway? 

"Oh, no! No! I mean--yes!" He crumbled the list in surprise, turning around. "I'm fine! I'm swell! Fantastic, even!" He went to face his partner, but noticed that Johnny was very...taller than he was. His eyes drew away from his shirt to his eyes. His amiable, endearing brown eyes...

No, stop thinking about this! Just say something, anything! "You have a nice smile--" shit, not that. Jackson coughed to cover up his flub, hoping his partner wouldn't notice. "I mean..I think we should just...look over the song choices," he managed to say. With a nod, he immediately turned back around and resided to the back of the room. 

He leaned against the wall, reading the song picks, trying to keep his eyes on the paper. Oh, what was he thinking? They were just teammates, nothing more! And even so, Johnny would never fall in love with a raccoon like him...

His eyes tread the paper some more. Most picks were romantic, so he frantically searched for a song that couldn't be read into anything. So they wouldn't read into anything. Read it what? It was just a performance!

He read the paper again and again, searching for the right song. Crossing out every discreet love song, he was left with only a few choices. After looking over them for a few minutes, he came to a conclusion. 

With a paw over his choice, he turned to his partner. He walked with his head down, not wanting to see anything. God, he was pathetic. 

"I'll Cover You?" came from his British accent. Jackson blushed. Shit, he even sounded cute. 

"Y-YEAH LET'S TRY IT!" Jackson immediately blurted out, covering his mouth after. With a deep exhale, he stood next to his partner, and the two began to sing. 

~~Live in my house, I'll be your shelter  
Just pay me back with one thousand kisses  
Be my lover, and   
I'll Cover You...~~

They sang, but the spark wasn't there. Jackson didn't care about the world--he just said the lyrics. He kept his eyes closed, not wanting to blush or mutter or mess anything up in front of Johnny. He had no idea what he was feeling, he just wanted it to end.

\---

The two continued to sing for a few hours, and still, the flair was nowhere. 

Lyrics with no meaning, and voices with no flavor. It continued to hours. They still sounded pretty good together, but just not...real. Jackson felt it, but didn't say anything. The two finished what had been about their 10th practice. 

"Wanna take a break?" Johnny asked, stopping the music. 

"YeAH, SURE! A BREAK WOULD BE FINE!" Jackson spoke out, stopping himself as he ended. "JUst...dandy," he finished, chuckling nervously. He watched as the gorilla exited the room for some water. Shit, he's messing everything up.

Jackson nervously looked around the room, before popping his earbuds into his ears. His playlist began buzzing in his ears. He began singing along. 

~~I've learned to slam on the brake  
Before I even turn the key  
Before I make the mistake  
Before I lead with the worst of me...~~

Why was he so nervous? He just had to get this show over with! No one will see him mess up if he does decently, and yet, he couldn't make the mark! If he didn't get his act together soon, he would look bad in front of tons of people!

He looked at Johnny from inside the practice room, who was taking a drink. His reputation was on the line too...wasn't it?

Why did he even care? He's worked with Annette all his life! He let Annette take the stage, and she was great! Why was Johnny any different?

~~Step out, step out of the sun  
If you keep getting burned.  
Step out, step out of the sun  
Because you've learned, because you've learned...~~

He would be sharing the stage with Johnny. He, Jackson Riley, would be sharing the stage with an amazing singer like Johnny. What could Jackson do to match his standards? 

He was a wreck! He never sings in front of the public--he just likes to do backup. He was going to mess everything up for him and for an uprising star. He just knew it. He tuned out his thoughts as he continued to sing.

~~On the outside, always looking in, will I  
Ever be more than I've always been?  
Cause I'm tap, tap, tapping on the glass.  
Waving through a window...~~

Now he was soulful. Now he could perform. He sang like he would in his bedroom, alone, by himself and his thoughts.

He had to make himself a great actor...he had to make sure he could set the stage. Pushing away all his feelings, he decided to focus on the show, focus on he and Johnny as partners, rather than...anything else. 

Anything else...they'd never be anything else. 

~~I   
Try to speak, but nobody can hear, so I  
Wait around for an answer to appear  
While I'm watch, watch, watching people pass  
Waving through a window...~~

Why would he want to be "anything else" with him? Johnny was going places, while he was just going to be young, afraid Jackson Riley, retreating to his bedroom. 

He didn't even feel "anything else" for Johnny. Sure, there was that moment on stage, and sure, there was the fact that he was tall, dark, and handsome...

But that was it. He only liked him for his voice...nothing else. And there would be nothing else!

~~Can anybody see?   
Is anybody waving  
Back at me?~~

His voice tenderly finished the end of the first chorus, when he was brought back to reality by the slam of a door. He opened his eyes, meeting with Johnny's across the room. He looked...shocked for some reason. 

"H-Hi," Jackson nervously broke the silence, taking out his earbuds. "How was...how was the water?"

He nodded. "Was that..'ou singin'?" he asked. Wait, shit, he could hear him? Jackson broke out in a slight sweat, tried to shake his head, but it dissolved into an embarrassed nod.

"Yeah...you could hear me?" He responded. Johnny nodded. "Oh shit...oh shit oh shit, I must've sounded terrible, right?" He brought a paw to his forehead, wiping away perspiration frantically. 

"No, actually!" His partner spoke up, bringing up his hands to assure him. "It was..great!" he smiled warmly.

Jackson stopped breathing faster at this point. In fact, he may have stopped breathing in general. He...liked his singing? Snapping his attention to him, he blinked. "What? I'm good?"

"Yeah, you were terrific!" 

He blushed at the compliment. It wasn't that his singing was good, it was that Johnny thought his singing was good. Well, hopefully, he could sing like that onstage.

"Well...back to work," Jackson muttered, getting out the lyric sheet. The two continued to practice their duet, and this time there was passion. This time, he wasn't thinking about his feelings or anything. Jackson thought about the comments beforehand...Johnny liked his singing. Wow. 

Wow.

\---

Eventually, the day ended. Everyone was heading out of the theatre, ready to rest after their first day of work. Jackson had ran out of the room when it was time, waving goodbye to his partner, ready to sleep as well. He opened the door and...

Rain. It was raining. Shit.

He got out his phone, ready to text his roommate, only to see that she texted him first.

[ANNETTE]: sorry, i gotta meet someone at the mall. can u walk home?

Ugh. Why? He didn't have a jacket and he didn't have an umbrella, he was going to catch a cold there. 

Taking a deep breath, he began to walk into the rain, ready to face it. 

"Jackson!" He heard his partner call out from behind him, running up to catch him. "It's raining outside!"

Jackson nodded. "Y-Yes...I-I can see that, thank you," he muttered, tiredly. 

"'Ya don't 'ave an umbrella, do 'ya?" He asked, showing concern for him. Concern? Huh, it felt odd to Jackson.

He looked out into the rain, which was growing stronger. "Y-Yeah...so?" He just wanted to get home.

Johnny opened an umbrella in his hand. "Want to come with me?" He asked, handing the umbrella out to him.

Jackson looked at the umbrella with a bit of hesitation. No, he couldn't be alone with this guy. He needed to keep his emotions straight (unlike him)--he needed to be focus d on the show.

But still, it was raining hard. And still, it was only going to be a trip home. This wasn't anything big, it was a polite act. He needed to stop reading into things.

With a small sigh, he grabbed the umbrella, brushing his hand up against the gorilla's. He saw that Johnny smiled in satisfaction, and he returned with a smile of gratitude. The two walked into the rain, shielded from the umbrella. 

Jackson looked away from his partner, focusing on the ground. He needed to stay focused--he didn't need any subtext right now. Or anything at all, considering there was no subtext. He only had one thing in mind.

He liked his singing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs were "I'll Cover You" from RENT and "Waving Through a Window" from Dear Evan Hansen, btw.


	4. Rain Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walking and talking in the rain.

Jackson had navigated their way to his apartment. He listened to nothing but the pitter-patter of the rain as they walked. It was quiet between them,many he liked it that way. It felt calm. Peaceful.

"So," Johnny broke the silence, surprising the raccoon for a moment. "Rehearsal was good, wasn't it?"

Jackson stayed quiet, focusing on his walk. He couldn't be distracted by anything, he just needed to get home and practice. But still, he let him go on with his small talk. His voice was...soothing.

"Say, 'our very good at singin', ya' know?" He said. This caused Jackson to stop in his tracks for a second, lost in his thoughts. He replayed the words over and over again in his mind. He tried to shake them away, but they just kept on coming. "'Ya okay?" Johnny asked noticing his blank stare. The sudden voice brought him out of his trance.

"Wh-what? Yeah, yeah I'm fine," Jackson brushed it off, continuing to walk. And again, it was quiet between them. No talking, no anything. The more moments of silence, the more questions that started biting at Jackson's mind. One eventually slipped out.

"Say, Johnny?" He whispered, catching his attention. A part of himself was telling him to shut up, but another told him to keep going. "Where did...where did you learn Wicked?" It felt like a dumb question.

But Johnny looked at him and smiled. "Oh, I saw it with my friends a few months ago!" He said, happily. Well, that answers one question.

More inquiries formed in his mind. Jackson tried to quiet them down. He already answered one question--he shouldn't be bombarded with more. That can mess something up. He didn't know what, but it could. 

But they all spilled out into one. "Where did you learn how to play piano? How do you have such a large singing range? How do you remember everything before the show?" The flew out like a waterfall of words. He immediately shut up after they spilled out, covering his face as he continued to walk. 

But he heard him...laugh. Laugh? Odd, but he had a beautiful laugh. Short yet charming. "One at a time!" He chuckled, playfully tapping him on the shoulder. "Now--what's first?"

Johnny was...listening to him. Did he like him? As a friend! As a friend, Jackson thought. And he also thought about what to ask him, or even if he should ask anything. What if he said something stupid? Something that would make him regret ever working with him?

No, that was, like, a one in a hundredth possibility. Right? He was bad at math, ugh. It took a few seconds, but he decided on a question. A question that swirled around his head for some time.

"H-How...how are you so confident one stage?" Jackson asked, originally as a mumble, but slowly growing into an audible question. He looked up as his partner for his answer, only to see his smile fade. Shit, was that a bad question? He did it--he messed it up! "I-I'm sorry!" He muttered immediately, looking away. 

But the gorilla looked at him in reassurance. "It's okay!" He said, smile returning. For some reason, just seeing his grin made Jackson relax. He looked up at him, awaiting his response. "Well, I just...sing, 'ya know?" He responded. 

He nodded. The answer was simple, but satisfying. "S-Same...sometimes, onstage, I pretend no one can see me..." He shared his own technique, somewhat opening up to him. "...they just see... my character."

He felt him shrug. "Why?" He asked. "You're a great singer!" Jackson looked up a bit in confusion. Him? A great singer? 

When?

"I...I am?" Jackson wondered aloud, seeing Johnny nod. "I..wha...how?"

"'Ya have a great voice!" Johnny began, causing the raccoon to blush a bit. "And you have passion!" Now Jackson was blushing a lot. 

"Really?" Jackson asked, a bit in denial. He saw him nod. "I...when? You're a way better singer than me! You can sing and play the piano, and I'm just a mess!" He exclaimed. 

"Don't say tha' about yourself--" Johnny began, surprised at the raccoon's sudden outburst. 

"It's true!" Jackson interrupted, not listening to his words. "I'm a can't even go on stage without freaking out! No one should've seen me, and now I can ruin your career!" He ranted on, letting all his thoughts spill out. "I'm just...not good enough!" He threw his arms in the air, and his mind filled with thoughts. He wasn't good...he was hardly decent at the best. Why would he want to work with him? 

With a heavy sigh, he took a moment to realize what happened. He just spouted out unnecessarily at his partner, who stopped to look at him. No, this was't professional. This wasn't professional at all!

"I-I..I'm sorry," he brought his voice down, growing into a relaxed figure. "I g-got out-of-hand there..."

He was silenced at the grip of Johnny's hand in his. Meeting his gaze, it felt just like that moment on the stage. Where they were together, and no one else was there. It was quiet for a moment, and it felt...blissful. 

"Don't say that about yourself," Johnny broke the silence, repeating the words he said before. "Never say that about yourself. You're a great singer, and I'm glad to be workin' with 'ya," his words calmed Jackson down, as he listened to them with full interest. 

They kept the gaze for a few seconds, before Jackson pulled his hand away, and the two started walking one again. He looked over the gorilla's kind words along the way...wow. For some reason, they just filled his heart with passion and happiness. He replayed the words over and over again, as if not wanting to let them go. Then he added the compliments to the compilation. He was almost blushing.

Johnny was such a nice friend. Friend. 

"Well, this is my apartment," Jackson said, stopping at an instant. At the sound of his own voice, he felt like he was brought back to reality. Like he was awoken from an amazing, entrancing dream. "Th-Thanks for w-walking me home..." 

"Wait," he was about to enter when Johnny started to ask something. "'Ya don't have a jacket, do 'ya?" 

The raccoon slowly shook his head. "N-no, I don't...so?" 

He didn't think it was important. But he looked in a bit of surprise as Johnny gently took off his jacket and handed it to him. 

"Oh...oh, no I couldn't!" Jackson tried to deny the gift as politely as he could, but wondered why anyone would do something like that for him.

"It's alright!" Johnny assured. "I 'ave, like, ten of 'em at home!" 

Jackson stood in the doorway, looking from the jacket, to him. Should he really do this? It wasn't anything important--it was just a jacket! Wind started to blow with the rain, gracing the raccoon's fur with a cold breeze. He tugged his short sleeves together, trying to bundle himself. Then he looked back to the jacket, and Johnny's offering grin.

Hesitantly, he gingerly took the jacket out of his hand, swiping it on himself. It was way bigger than him, almost drooping to the floor. He tugged the collars together, bundling himself even more.

"Th-Thanks," was all he could muster. Johnny didn't respond, he just gave a sweet smile, then proceeded to go home himself. 

Something inside of Jackson resonated as he watched the gorilla walking away. Something that beat in his heart, and out of his mouth. 

"Wait!" He called out, pulling his arm out. He was relived when he saw him turn around. But it all turned back to questions. Should he ask this? Would he accept? What if things turned out for the worse?

Stop it, he told himself. Stop hesitating and just...go.

"Do you...do you...want to go out sometime?" He clasped his paw over his mouth when he heard the words escape. "Like to the park or something! I mean, not like a date or anything!" He tried to recover, but he thought he already messed everything up. He ruined everything. It's over.

His thoughts evaporated from his mind when he saw that Johnny was...smiling. "Sure!" He agreed, nodding his head. And with that one word--Jackson forgot everything.

He smiled as well. "YEAH! Sweet, see you tomorrow! OR next week! OR--" Shut up Jack, he told himself. Luckily, he saw that his partner was chuckling. He didn't mess it up. He didn't mess it up! "BYE!" He hummed, shutting the door behind him in a breeze. His--Johnny's--jacket dropped down behind him, its weight nearly bringing him to the ground.

Regaining his balance, he walked up to his room, into his bedroom. He had a date...he had a date! He squealed in excitement, hugging himself. 

Wait...no, they were just friends. This wasn't a date. Johnny didn't see it as a date and neither should he. Professionalism, he thought.

...

SCREW PROFESSIONALISM! 

He jumped onto his bed, giggling in glee, while he hugged the jacket around him. They were gonna hang out. Not as a date--but as friends! And friend were just enough.

Jackson looked over the recent events of the month--the moment backstage, the moment onstage, the moment after the break, the moment in the rain! He blushed, and he let himself blush.

Johnny wasn't just a partner or a coworker to him. He wasn't just admired for good looks or his voice or his piano skills.

He was a friend. A sweet, kind, amazing friend. 

This wasn't the first time Jackson experienced it. And it possibly wouldn't be the last. Normally, he would find this a disgrace to himself, and a disgrace to his partner. But for the moment, he celebrated it.

He drifted off into sleep, without his playlist. Dreams were filled of passion, grace.

Love. 

Yep, this was it. 

Jackson Riley was in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I finished the first story!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Most of the auditions were actual OCs--most of them not mine
> 
> The Ballerina Mouse is Primasouris' Eva  
> The Karate Mouse is Miikedrop's Deke  
> The Ukelele Bird and Bear are Gegg's ((I forgot their names))  
> The Joking Panda is mewrulez/spicymeme's Rilley  
> The Violin Bird is Leia "The Knife" Meme's Audrey  
> The Accountant Cat is Elanafml's Cassidy  
> The Baby Girl Koala is Blushing Japanball Bride's Gracie 
> 
> And, of course, Jackson and Annette are both mine!


End file.
